What's special:

Lawyers teach classes in English and history.

The downside:

Metal detectors; few advanced courses.

Review

Our review:

The vision: Lessons in English and history incorporate legal concepts.

The reality: At this small school, housed in the Martin Luther King Educational Complex, students may discuss legal concepts in the Greek play Antigone or consider whether cyberbullying is a crime. Several teachers are also lawyers, and we heard some interesting class discussions the day of our visit.

The legal theme isn’t as strong as it was when the school was first founded in 2002: there is no longer space for a mock courtroom, for example.Still, there are courses designed to teach students about public affairs, such as a course in community issues that explains how city government works. Students may visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of a global history unit on Ancient Greece and Rome. The school offers calculus and Advanced Placement English but it does not offer physics or many advanced courses.

Students may take part in the many sports teams on the Martin Luther King campus.

While most students say they feel safe in class, there are some complaints about fights in the building. About one-quarter of students say they don’t feel safe in bathrooms or locker rooms; about half the students complain about the cleanliness of their school, according to the Learning Environment Survey. The school seemed calm the day of our visit. Students must pass through metals detector to enter the building.

Doreen Conwell, a long-time assistant principal, was named principal in 2011 after her predecessor, Miriam Nightengale left to lead Columbia Secondary School.

Special education: The school offers self-contained classes and Special Education Student Support Services (SETSS).

College admissions: While most students attend CUNY and SUNY schools, teachers encourage them to apply to their “dream” schools and some graduates have been admitted to Cornell, NYU, PACE and Penn State, teachers said.

Admissions: Educational option formula designed to ensure a mix of low-, average and high achieving students. (Clara Hemphill, January 2012)

InsideStats

Click tabs above to see school stats

At a glance

Shared campus?
Yes

Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Campus

Number of Students531

Average Daily Attendance85%

Uniforms?
Yes

Metal detectors?
Yes

Students at this school

Asian

1%

Black

44%

Hispanic

51%

White

2%

Free Lunch

88%

Special ed

17%

English Language Learners

8%

INCOMING STUDENTS' PROFICIENCY:
2.30 2.40CITYWIDE AVERAGE

1 = Far below grade level

2 = Below grade level

3 = At grade level

4 = Above grade level

Citywide Average KeyThis school is Green better Blue Near Red Worse Than The Citywide Average

Safety & vibe

ARE CLASSES BIG?

Number of students in an average english class

2325 CITYWIDE AVERAGE

DO STUDENTS LIKE THE TEACHERS?

How many students say their teachers inspire them to learn?

55%
63%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

DO TEACHERS LIKE THE PRINCIPAL?

How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?

63%78%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

IS THIS SCHOOL SAFE?

How many students say they feel safe in hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?

79%82%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many teachers say order and discipline are maintained in the school?

79%77%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

HOW ISATTENDANCE?

How Many Students are Chronically Absent?

41%38%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

Citywide Average KeyThis school is Green better Blue Near Red Worse Than The Citywide Average

Who graduates

Class of 2014

How many students graduated within 4 years?

72%73%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many students graduated within 6 years?

84%80%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

Previous Years

How many students graduated within 4 years?

74%65%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many graduates earned an advanced regents diploma within 4 years?

13%11%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many students graduated within 6 years?

79%75%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many graduates dropped out within 4 years?

7%10%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

Citywide Average KeyThis school is Green better Blue Near Red Worse Than The Citywide Average

College prep

Does this school offer a college preparatory curriculum?

How many students took an AP or IB class and scored at least a "3" on the AP exam or a "4" on the IB exam?

15%

How Many Students took a College Course and Got a "C" or Higher?

21%

How many students passed a Regents exam for algebra 2, physics or chemistry?

14%

Are students ready for college?

How many students graduated in four years with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?

12%27%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

SAT reading scores

400

418

CITYWIDE AVERAGE

497

NATIONWIDE AVERAGE

How many students graduated in four years and enrolled in college?

56%63%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

SAT math scores

390

426

CITYWIDE AVERAGE

513

NATIONWIDE AVERAGE

Is the guidance counseling helpful?

How many students say that this school provides helpful counseling on college or job-seeking?

76%76%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

Citywide Average KeyThis school is Green better Blue Near Red Worse Than The Citywide AverageNote: NA means not available or not applicable. Graduation rates not available for new schools.

Special ed & ELL

How well does this school serve students with disabilities?

How many special ed students graduated within 4 years?

44%47%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many special ed students graduated within 6 years?

62%54%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

This school offers team teaching and self-contained classes.

How many students with disabilities spend most of the day with non-disabled peers?

55%68%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many teachers say students with disabilities are included in all activities?

81%89%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How well does this school serve English language learners?

How many English language learners graduated within 4 years?

58%

37%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

How many English language learners graduated within 6 years?

80%

56%CITYWIDE AVERAGE

Citywide Average KeyThis school is Green better Blue Near Red Worse Than The Citywide AverageNote: NA means not available or not applicable. Graduation rates not available for new schools.

Programs and Admissions

School admission priorities:

Open to New York City residents

Source: High school directory

Law, Advocacy and Community Justice High School

Ed. Opt.

Students take law courses in their 11th and 12th grade years in addition to their social studies courses; a college preparatory focus is incorporated into the classroom curriculum.

Academics

AP COURSES: English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, Psychology, Spanish Language and Culture, United States History, World History